Sunderland’s Bardsley: Brown deserves praise for comeback

PHIL BARDSLEY insists former Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown deserves the plaudits for not throwing in the towel.

Brown made his first Premier League start since January 2012 in last week’s victory over Manchester City after ending a torrid 22-month spell on the treatment table.

Sunderland had offered to pay-off the remainder of Brown’s contract, which runs until the summer of 2015, at the tail end of last season, as the former England international continued to suffer injury set-backs.

But the 34-year-old was determined to play again and despite breaking down during pre-season, fought on to make a successful return to the first-team picture.

Bardsley has been left in awe of Brown’s doggedness to fight his way back into the frame and the quality of the centre-half’s performances in his two-and-a-half outings for Gus Poyet’s side.